Forensic genetic testing and DNA analysis have led to the arrest of a former Hopkinton man for a cold case sexual assault from over 20 years ago.
Robert Czerwein, 41, was arraigned on Aug. 19 and charged with two counts of sexual assault that happened on Jan. 5, 2005.
The arrest comes after an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General's cold case unit, along with the Hopkinton Police Department, the Woonsocket Police Department and the Connecticut State Police.
"Cases like this are painful for our community, especially when the trail runs cold," said Hopkinton Police Chief Mark Carrier in a news release, adding that many of the officers who first worked on the case 21 years ago had since retired. "These cases are never truly forgotten; they leave an enduring mark, not only on the victims, but also on the professionals dedicated to seeking justice."
It's a good day for Hopkinton," Carrier said at an Aug. 19 press conference.
At the press conference, Attorney General Peter Neronha said that the alleged victim was walking along the sidewalk near the Verizon building on Main Street in Hopkinton when she was attacked from behind by an assailant. The attacker covered pinched her noise and covered her face with a scarf, obscuring her vision and ability to breathe, before raping her, Neronha said.
The alleged victim sought help at a nearby resident and was transported to Westerly Hospital, where a rape kit was performed, but there were no known leads at the time.
Neronha said that advanced genetic testing and new forensic DNA techniques were used to develop a suspect, who was also connected to an unsolved alleged sexual assault in 2005 in Connecticut, according to the news release.
Investigators learned Czerwein was living in Woonsocket and began surveilling him, tailing him until he tossed out a cigarette. The DNA from that cigarette matched the results from the sperm profile from the rape kit, Neronha said. Czerwein lived in Hopkinton at the time of the alleged assault, though Neronha declined to comment on whether he might be a suspect in other unsolved cases, saying that the investigation continues.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Forensic DNA and discarded cigarette lead to cold case sexual assault arrest